Of mazes and magic
by BelinBane
Summary: I know there are thousands of Harry Potter fanfictions but still... here it is! Set before Deathly Hallows and where Dumbledore and Sirius are still alive, the order of the phoenix is preparing for the final battle! Severus Snape, torn between two masters, is given a daunting task that will test both his will and strength. Will he come out of this one alive or is it too late?
1. Midnight Meetings

**Of mazes and magic:**

 _If you pick a fight with a God of Death, I cannot guarantee your soul´s safety._

 **Chapter 1: Midnight meeting at Headquarters**

The house stood tall and dark in the cool October night, all the wood shutters closed. A few lights from the street lamps remained alight, flickering slightly and casting long shadows on the cobalt stones. Not a soul could be seen wandering in the alley below. If a passer walking by quickly with his collar turned up against the drizzle were to glance at the house, he would only see an old wall with some bricks missing. If by chance he was able to get a glimpse of the house, it would certainly seem abandoned. However, if looked close upon and with a trained eye, the mansion was clearly alive, with light showing through the splinters in the wood.

Which is why around midnight on this gloomy evening; the current members of the Order sat by the long wooden table in the old-fashioned kitchen of twelve Grimmauld place. This house from the Victorian era was presently the Order´s headquarters and meetings were to be held there. While they were usually animated, full of loud talking and angry voices; here, not a whisper could be heard. They were all fidgeting and tension was floating in the air.

Finally, one dared to break the heavy silence: "What are we waiting for again? It´s nearly midnight and he still hasn´t showed up. Are you sure he´s going to come? I mean, we all know what he´s like…" It was Sirius Black, owner of the Order´s headquarters, safely hidden until his name was cleared.

Dumbledore answered in a calm and neutral voice but with the usual twinkle in his eyes gone: "Yes I am. He was summoned tonight by Voldemort and we must wait upon his return. There is a crucial piece of information that will have a great impact on the upcoming war and we need it. He is the only one that can give it to us." The others went back to fidgeting and sighing.

A few minutes later, someone cleared his throat and all eyes turned to the doorway.

"Well speaking of the devil, here is our spy! Finally decided to show your face, huh?" Sirius said, smirking.

Said-spy stood there, looking as grim as ever with his black robes folded neatly around him. Without a word, he trudged past everyone and sat on one of the chairs, as far from everyone as he possible could. No one acknowledged him; the way he glided on the ground without a sound and the death eater robes he was wearing were making everyone uneasy.

"Severus; I trust your meeting with the Dark Lord went well. Do tell us what you have learned tonight" said Dumbledore with a wave of his hand, nodding towards his spy.

"As I have said before, the Dark Lord and his followers are on the move, preparing for the final battle. The net is drawing close and soon they will act." Snape was looking only at Dumbledore, his eyes glazing as if warning him.

"I sense the battle coming. In fact we have all felt the growing urgency of the death eaters to prove themselves worthy but I fail to see what is new here." answered the old wizard, urging his spy to go one.

"I´m warning you and the Order because from now on, things are about to get much worse. The raids are more often, the killings more vicious and he has rallied the vampires and the werewolves to his cause." His tone hardened as he said it and he glanced at Lupin, distaste evident.

"So is that what you´ve been doing all this time? Making new potions to kill and raiding innocent people´s homes?" Sirius couldn´t help himself. Knowing that their spy was of doing god knows what at the Dark Lord´s command set him on edge. That he never said anything about it even more.

Snape ignored the usual jab: "But even a great wizard such as him cannot be sure of the outcome. In order to remedy that, he has decided to make sure of his victory."

"Would you stop speaking in riddles and get to the point. In case you haven´t noticed, we´ve been waiting for you for a few hours already" growled Sirius.

"If you would only listen and not interrupt me, this would go a lot quicker." Snape sneered back.

"Really? According to Dumbledore, this war might depend on your information and you won´t even tell us how you´re obtaining it and what…"

"That´s enough! Said Dumbledore loudly. This is not the time. Please Severus, continue."

Snape hesitated, the corners of his mouth twitching. "He´s going after the locket." Everyone stared at him, obviously ignorant as to what he was referring to.

"The locket? As in the Ezekiel Locket?" Said Lupin, speaking up for the first time. All eyes turned to him.

"Care to explain? We aren´t all so knowledgeable" interrupted Black again, with a sneer towards Snape.

"Lupin. Explain since you know of it" Snape suddenly sounded very tired.

"The locket takes its name after one of the angels from the Bible but it´s origin is far more ancient. It dates back to the root of Christianity and is said to be given to mankind as a last resort by the angels, in the Ancient Testament. If things were ever to be so dark and if all hope was gone for the redemption of men, they would use the locket. To make it short, it contains an enormous amount of power in the purest state magic could ever be. Used by a dark wizard, it could turn into the exact opposite. Magic so evil I´m not sure even he-who-must-not-be-named could control it. The locket is extremely powerful and just like any form of power, it corrupts the heart; which is exactly what it did to the angel Ezekiel. He tried to take the magic for himself and was cast out of heaven for it; cursed to roam the earth for eternity for he was still immortal."

"Well, well, if that doesn´t sound like a parody of Voldemort´s life…" Sirius said grimly.

Lupin continued his tale: "If he were to get that locket, use it and not be killed by the white magic, he would be unstoppable. It would give him the amount of power in nearly all the magical world and maybe give him a solid immortality, rendering the horcruxes useless. As Severus said, it would certainly assure victory."

"Wait. You said it comes from the Bible so how do we know it isn´t a legend? Do we have proof this thing exists? And what do you mean as a last resort?" asked Black, saying something sensible for the first time.

Snape chuckled drily. Trust Black to even mistrust the Dark Lord´s intentions. "Something you find funny?" snapped Sirius.

"Why do you even need proof? The Dark Lord asked me to retrieve it; of course it´s real." Snape´s face was as unreadable as ever.

"Oh yes because whatever your master says must be the absolute truth. Won´t be the first time he plays you for a fool!" Sirius shot back.

Snape was about to answer but Dumbledore silenced him with a wave of his hand: "Lupin. Would you be so kind as to answer Mr. Black´s questions?"

The werewolf nodded: "We actually have no proof of anything. There is nearly no documents about the locket but traces of it have remained through the centuries. As to what the locket actually does… No one knows either. Some say it would bring all of mankind to Heaven and others say it would annihilate the world."

"Admitting it exists, is it something we can use?" asked Sirius.

"Absolutely not. The only hope we have is to destroy it before he gets his hands on it. Didn´t you hear what it did to Ezekiel?" Snape answered quickly.

"Well, if you´re the one using it, might as well give it to Voldemort."

"Ok. That´s enough for tonight. Now that you know the basics, we will stop here. I need a word with Severus." Said Dumbledore loudly, standing up.

"Wait a minute. This also concerns us so we have the right to know of any decision you will make." Said Black

Dumbledore looked at him, almost daring him to contradict him again: "And you will. But for now, it concerns only Severus and me. We will meet again tomorrow at the same time." At that, they both exited the kitchen.

One by one, the others left; profoundly dissatisfied by their spy´s report which was about as clear as the water of a swamp. Remained only Sirius and Lupin. Sirius raked his hand through his shaggy hair: "God, this war is getting out of hand. Trusting a former death eater to find a mass destruction weapon for a mass destructor…"

"You should cut him some slack. I´m sure he´s doing what he can." Lupin answered softly. He knew there was no lost love between them and that Sirius was getting crazy with boredom, stuck in this house.

"We only have Dumbledore´s word for it. He´s always off at Voldemort´s orders. Who knows how many people he has killed? Tortured? And he might even enjoy it." Sirius said angrily.

Lupin sighed: "He´s a spy, Sirius. It´s what he does and lately, he has given us no reason to mistrust him. The information he brings us is invaluable. I´m not asking you to like him; only to show him minimal respect or just to leave him alone. It´s hard enough as it is." He knew that he was asking for a lot but they couldn´t be at each other´s throat all the time. But he also knew that if Sirius was ever to discover Snape´s biggest secret, there would be no more spying for him.

 **I will continue this story if you guys are interested so please let me know! Also, reviews are always welcome!**


	2. Spy and master

**Chapter 2: Spy and master**

As soon as the door closed behind them, Snape swirled around: "The Dark Lord is starting to doubt. This is the final test and the locket will determine my position in his ranks"

Dumbledore sat on the chair behind the small desk and looked at his spy calmly: "So you will retrieve it and give it to him. We need you in a secure position when the time comes."

"But you better than all know where it is and the extent of the damage it can do. The risk is too high. It is better he discovers my true allegiance than he gets his hands on it because if…" Snape answered angrily.

"Severus." Dumbledore interrupted him, "I know that and you can be sure he will never be able to use it. You _know_ we need you as a spy for the final move. Without you it is impossible."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Snape retorted, pacing around the room like a caged animal. He threw his hands in the air: "And of course, you´ve already thought about everything!"

"That is not your job to worry about. You must bring it back to me." His tone allowed no argument. Snape hissed, but said no more. "However, you will not be going alone."

"What?!"

"This is not arguable either. The mission is too dangerous and you know that you yourself cannot retrieve the locket. As a form of pure magic, it would respond most violently to one wearing the dark mark." Snape scowled at that but he knew it was true.

"And I suppose you already have someone in mind?"

"As it is, I do. I have decided on Remus Lupin," Added Dumbledore calmly, awaiting his spy´s reaction.

"No. Choose someone else. I will not be going inside a damn painting full of dangers for God knows how long with an uncontrollable werewolf on the loose." Snape said flatly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Lupin knows about the locket more than anyone else in the Order. He will be a valuable asset and as a professor of the dark arts, he will be able to offer protection should it be needed." Dumbledore answered.

"You know very well I can protect myself, magic or not. And how are you going to explain it to the Dark Lord? I don´t need a…"

"Stop. Voldemort will not question it and I will not lose my spy because he is too stubborn." Now Dumbledore was getting angry. Severus was being extremely uncooperative, even more so than usual; and lately, he had been quite difficult to handle. Whether it was because of all the death eaters meetings, the upcoming war, the hard task at hand or because he was just Severus, Dumbledore couldn´t tell. But they had no time for it right now.

"Fine. I will let you the pleasure of telling him yourself." In a rare display of anger, Snape stomped out the room; his black cloak billowing behind him.


	3. A plan for victory

**Chapter 3: A plan for victory**

Four days later, at around the same time as the previous meeting, the Order was once again sited around the table. Everyone had been quite busy, pondering on what Dumbledore had decided and Sirius, having been stuck in his house, was eager to hear the latest news. Snape had been gone for the past few days and only Lupin had briefly seen him in the corridors of Hogwarts.

As Dumbledore entered, the room was practically buzzing with excitement. As usual, Sirius was the first to talk; having barely waited for the headmaster to sit down.

"So; did you come to a decision?" Everyone´s eyes darted from him to Snape. The spy ignored him, an indifferent expression on his face. But from the way he was sitting with his arms crossed, everyone could sense he was angry.

The old wizard stood and stated:

"Indeed we have. Severus will retrieve the locket and bring it back to Voldemort."

"What? But you said his victory was assured if he had it!" Moody exclaimed.

"Let me finish. As I said, Voldemort will get the locket, but I will make sure that it is unusable."

"Ay but that´s too risky! I vote that Snape tells his master that he found no trace of the locket and that he must find another way! Can´t ya brew him a powerful potion or something?"

"Do you think that the Dark Lord will be appeased by such an excuse?" Snape retorted.

"This is not up to voting, my dear fellows. If Voldemort doesn´t get what he wants, I´m afraid we will have no more spy." Everyone stayed silent at that.

"Lupin will accompany him."

"What?! You can´t be serious! Snape is the spy; he should be the one risking his life without Lupin getting involved!" Snape knew that Sirius was speaking out of concern but his eyes blazed in anger and his fists tightened.

"In case you haven´t noticed, I´m already doing that every day while you sit there and…" he growled. Lupin decided to interrupt before it became a full-on argument.

"Sirius, I agreed to this and that´s the end of it." Black stayed silent, fuming over the words and shooting nasty glares at Snape.

When the matter was settled, Dumbledore stood: "We will be leaving in three days. Voldemort is growing rather impatient so the quicker the better. We do not know the time it will take to retrieve the locket so meanwhile, everyone is too keep a tight vigilance on the death eaters especially since our spy will be unavailable. All must be ready when they return. You can all go now. We will contact you when it is done"

Everyone silently left, until few remained. Lupin, deep in thought, recalled the evening where Dumbledore had asked for his help:

" _My dear friend, do sit down." Lupin sat on one of the chairs facing the old wizard´s desk, a teacup in his hands. "I have asked you here for an urgent business. As you know, I am sending Severus in search of the locket. I knew that this old legend would one day resurface and that Voldemort would ask his most trusted follower to find it. So you se; I have taken my precautions."_

 _Lupin nodded, this was expected. Dumbledore was always two steps forward. "However, I cannot send my spy alone. You know of the rumors concerning the locket. I fear that bringing it back will be hard task indeed. That is why I need you to go with him."_

 _Lupin was not entirely surprised at that: "Have you told Severus?" That part he feared more._

 _Dumbledore´s eye couldn´t help be twinkle in seeing Lupin´s worries: "As you have probably guessed, he didn´t take the suggestion too kindly but it was not up to him. Before we leave, you will need to collect as much information as possible. Any possible traps or opponents that you may face during your mission. Severus has been alerted as well."_

 _Lupin let it all sink in, wondering if he was up to their leader´s faith in him. And if the troublesome spy wouldn´t in fact bring too much trouble._

" _I have only one question. Why does Snape need someone to accompany him? I mean, he seems perfectly capable on his own." This was genuine curiosity._

 _A shadow of sadness darkened the old wizard´s face. "It is only a rumor but I prefer to take no risk. As an artefact of pure magic, it wouldn´t react well to one wearing the dark mark. I fear he is in too deep. Also, as he so likes to deny, he will possibly need some aid."_

 _Lupin saw the worry lining his face and tried to reassure him. "We will bring it back. Snape is a formidable duelist and one of the most talented fighters and potions master in the modern world. I am sure he will manage."_

" _Let us hope so, my dear, let us hope so."_

As soon as Dumbledore gave the word to go, Snape got up and quickly left the house.

He had just stepped into the entry when he felt a hand grab his arm. He turned violently. He hated being taken by surprise. It was Sirius.

"Snape, I swear that if Lupin doesn´t come back from where ever you´re going, I will personally make sure you aren´t getting out of this war." He said, more serious than Snape had ever seen him. Snape couldn´t help snapping back. "I didn´t choose this, ask your precious friend." He spat out the last words.

"The result is the same. You better come back with the locket AND my friend." Snape gave a dry chuckle. "Is that a threat?"

"I don´t trust you. I never have and never will. Dumbledore is mad to allow you such an important part in this war. Who knows where your true allegiance lies? Aren´t you sick of being everyone´s pawn? Torn between two masters, biding their will against each other?" Snape didn´t even bother taking the goad. He shook Black off and left the house.


	4. The forgotten Room

**Chapter 4: The forgotten room**

Lupin sighed, putting a few last items that might prove useful in his old linen bag. He closed his quarters and went out to meet Dumbledore. Walking through Hogwarts on a late Thursday evening was unusually quiet; without the boisterous students and the loud voices of the teachers shooing them off to their common rooms.

As he approached the headmaster´s office, he saw that Snape and said-headmaster were already there, talking in hushed voices.

"Ah! Lupin. Let us go on then." Silently, spy and werewolf followed Dumbledore; going around in lost staircases and forgotten rooms. It was all quiet dizzying. Suddenly, Snape stopped in his tracks, his voice full of accusation.

"I can´t believe you had the nerve to hide it in the school!"

"Ah, so you have guessed." Dumbledore allowed himself to smile. "But alas my friend, it is not as easy as it seems. Come in, we are here." In front of the three men stood an old rusted door; in a place where Lupin had only been once in his school days. The door creaked on its hinges as they went in and they left footprints in the dust. All the furniture was draped in white sheets. It looked like nothing more than an old storage room. Snape rolled his eyes; of course Dumbledore had hid it right under their nose. But also in the one place the Dark Lord didn´t dare to attack. Yet.

He didn´t bother asking how he had found it.

"My friends, your mission." Dumbledore tore off the white linen of a lump on one of the big velvety armchairs.

There stood a painting. Snape looked at it critically. It didn´t look like much. The actual scenery on it wasn´t very clear as the oil colors had faded over the centuries, unprotected. Snape could see a pale blue sky with long blades of pale green grass underneath it. Far above the grass hovered a dark grey cloud, which offered a dark contrast with the beautiful weather around it. On the cloud lied a man, large of stature with a long grey beard and a white sheet covering his legs. On his head stood a crown of lightning and he seemed to be pointing his finger accusingly, which attracted the attention to the figure next to him. Cast in shadows stood another man with long blond hair, his features almost feminine. It was obvious that it was an angel, his long feathery wings enveloping him as if it would protect him from his God´s wrath. His posture was tense, his arms covering part of his face and his back half twisted; his beautiful face constricted in a sneering and fearful grimace. His white robe was dancing around him as he was plummeting to his death, towards the ground. The water from the river under the cloud glimmered in the sunlight emanating from God, the trees swaying gently with the breeze.

"Ezekiel. Cast out of Heaven by God." Lupin´s voice snapped Snape out of his reverie. "If I´m not mistaken, this is one of Leonardo Da Vinci´s painting."

"Leonardo who?" demanded Snape.

Lupin smiled. It was rare for wizards to know much about muggle culture. "Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most famous muggle painter and engineer of the 16th century. Maybe you´ve heard of the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian man?" Seeing the blank stare Snape gave him, he decided to drop the subject. Pointing to the painting, he went back to it. "Da Vinci painted a lot of religious scenes from the Bible such as Christ´s last supper with his apostles or Virgin Mary holding her infant son. However, some of his artwork was criticized or even censored for its pagan hints. As historians and artists studied the paintings, they realized that in fact, they were anything but Christian. After all, Leonardo was always one for pranks and hidden symbols."

"Is that why there is a magical locket in a religious painting of the Bible?"

Lupin smiled once more. Snape seemed to know the Bible and of course his sharp eyes would catch the hidden detail. At the foot of a young pine tree was, half concealed by the grass, the locket. The golden chain was dangling from a low twig and it´s glow tainted the green.

"Yes; even though the locket IS technically mentioned in the Bible."

"Headmaster, while this has been very entertaining, I fail to see how it is relevant. This painting is nothing but a representation from the painter´s imagination." Snape could barely contain his growing irritation.

"Patience, my boy; all in good time. As our dear friend said, Da Vinci thought the locket existed and spent many years researching it. His work was our first source of interest in finding the locket and…"

"But where IS the actual locket? I´ve had enough of your secrets and I´m sure the Dark Lord will not care in the least about some muggle artist. So would you please get to the point?" Snape interrupted Dumbledore. Now he was getting angry.

The old wizard had the audacity to smile. "Place your hand on the painting, you´ll very soon understand." Snape crossed the room and brushed the painting lightly with his fingers. Gasping, he shot his hand back. "It´s full of magic. I can feel it simmering under the paint." Dumbledore nodded.

"Oh and I suppose we must go inside the painting now?" His sarcasm was dripping honey over shards of ice.

"Precisely. The locket was hidden in the painting a few centuries later by a group of monks dedicated to protecting God´s secrets."

Both men were stunned. Lupin moved closer to it. "I have heard so much about this painting, I can´t believe it was here all this time. Look at the forest, it's a scene from the bible but I would need to…"

"It doesn´t matter what it is," said Snape rather harshly, "we just have to get in and get the damn locket."

"And how do we do that?" asked Lupin quietly. "With the spell I have spent years researching." Was Lupin mistaken or did the headmaster actually sound smug? Dumbledore took out his wand and flicked his wrist, muttering unknown words under his breath. "Here, it is done. I will leave now."

As he walked towards the door, Dumbledore placed his hand on Snape´s shoulder: "You know what to do. This will be harder on you but you cannot fail, this is crucial. Good luck" With one last glance at Snape´s forearm where Lupin knew the Dark mark lay, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

There was nothing more to do. They had planned everything during those past three days, collecting as much information as possible on the painting. But still, it remained a mystery. They knew so little that it could easily prove to be a suicide-mission.

Snape signed softly. Pondering on it wouldn´t change anything. But everything had gone so quickly, the last days nothing more than a blur. For years he had worked as a double-agent, serving two masters, playing for two sides and never faltering. It was time to do his duty once more.

"Come on, we might as well go in." Lupin placed his hand on Snape´s shoulder and together they stepped towards the painting.


End file.
